Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-08-03
THE SHENANDOAH.
Stories of Old Shepherdstown and Its
Historic surrounding.

Stories of Old Shepherdstown and Its
Historic surrounding.
Sysc,w C,r,,pDgfur. m Re Register.
SuErHERpSTowN, W. Va, July %
Few people in our State know that Shep-
hcrdstowu this year completes its one
hundred and twenty fifth year Yet such
is tue. me town having been laid OF in
1862, by Captain Thomas Shepherd, and
called Mecklenburg The town now has
hut population OF 1 500, and boasts of
some twenty stores, eight churches, five
physicians, two lawyers, one newspaper
one bank. a graded school and Shepherd
College Normal school. Shepherdstowu' :
palmy DAYS were before the building OF the
h. IL O. railroad The town then was 4
great shipping point on the Chesapeake and
Ohio canal, and caravans OF mule, horse
and OK teams transported the trade ot Shep-
herdstOwn with the rich Shenandoah anu
Cumberland valleys and the region west OF
the Alleghanies. But railroad transporta-
tion has ended the days of the wagOners OF
the Alleghanies and Shenandoah, and has
consequently diverted much OF Shepherds
towns trade elsewhere, closed the large
wholesale HOUSES and caused many OF the
mills and shops, for which the town was
once famous, to close up. But the build
ing Of the Shenandoah Valley railroad
through the town has to a considerable en-
tent revived its trade.
This section is every year attracting
more attention on account OF It's historical
interest, its grand scenery, line springs,
rood fishing and other attractions. The
battle field OF Antietam Is Just across
the Potomac from Shepherdstown. 1t
was the good fortune Of your re-
port,r to drive over the field with
Prof. Bush. of rShepherdstown, and Captain
Russell, Of ShIrpsburg, 4 man who had
tou,,ht in the battle on the Confederate
side, and was acquainted with every point
of interest ON the bloody field. Rail fences
and trees riddlcd with bullets, and tn,
Sharpshurg cemetery where repOse 1,ulO
Federal dead, remain rs signs oi the bloody
battle fought there. Relics Of the battle
are now very scarce, and people from the
north are now even carrying away fence
rails and dredging the creek OF Anuetam
for relies. The finest collection ol reIlc'
we saw was collected by Prof ). 7. Smith
of Sharpsburg who, by the way, Is one OF
the greatest autiQuarians IN Western
MARYLAND, and has a most valuable colIrc
ton of mnumismatic, geological, historical
and other relics.
Just above the bridge that crosses IRON
Shepherdstown to Maryland Is whrr,
James Rumsey planned, builtand launched
| in the Potomac the first steamh0at eNtl
/ built. This was in l1-i, twenty year
before Robert Fulton built his first steam
er. The path on the Cll OycrhInSlng the
/ Potomac, where Rumsey paced up anC
/ down thinking of his invention, Il stu
pointed out
| Just a short distance from Shepherds
| town is the pass in the Blue Ridge wher'
the Shenandoah and Potomac rlver
unite aud burst through the mountain
| forming the sublime scenery about Har
per's Ferry, OF which Thomas Jefferson
once said, This scene Is worth a voyage
acros@ the Atlantic" This We visited, saw
John Browns Fort stood on Jefferson :
/ Rock, " and climbed 10 the top of Mar!
/ land Heights The three forts manned by
/ Stouewall Jackson : men and cOmmandn!
the town are still plajr, though oyerGrowI
/ with briers. Ii is no wonder the Jnlol
forces in the town were surprised and a
once surrendered, when they walked NJ
one morning and saw JacksOn's men ahor'
them. We also stood on the eminenct
where General Sheridan is said TO hav,
stood, overlooking the great valley Of tn
| Shenandoah, with its fine farms aud farm